


Sleigh Bell

by belivaird_st



Category: Carol (2015), The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2018-11-16
Packaged: 2019-08-23 20:42:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16626101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/belivaird_st/pseuds/belivaird_st
Summary: Carol and Therese have decided to take care of their new neighbors’ puppy for two weeks while they go on their honeymoon.





	1. Chapter 1

“Mommy...” Rindy reached over and tried shaking Carol out of her slumber. “Mommy?”

Carol stirred under the blankets with Therese rolling over to lay on the other side of the bed. Rindy grabbed Carol’s bare arm and shook her more. “Mommy? Mama!”

“Rindy, what,” Carol spoke wearily, “What’s the matter, sweetheart?”

“Sleigh Bell needs to go potty.” Rindy stood back now and watched her mother sit halfway up with a sleepy, confused expression on her face. “He won’t stop scratching the door.”

“Sleigh Bell?” Carol repeated.

“The Carpenters’ puppy,” Rindy reminded her. “Remember we said that we would take care of their puppy for the next two weeks, so they could go on their honeymoon? Remember that, Mommy?” 

Carol heard Therese snoring softly beside her. She quickly gestured for Rindy to use her indoor voice with her hand before throwing the blankets off. Rindy pretended to lock her mouth shut and throw away the key with a stifled giggle as she waited for her mother to swing her legs down below the mattress and slide her feet into a pair of red silk slippers.

Rindy took hold of Carol’s hand and started leading her out of the bedroom, down the stairs, past through the hallway, and straight into the kitchen where they found their new neighbors’ 6-month-old beagle whimpering and pawing at the back door.

“We’re here for you, Sleigh Bell,” Rindy told the whining animal. She followed alongside next to Carol, who grabbed the coiled leash off the metal kitchen chair. Carol coaxed the puppy with the soft clicking of her teeth as she clipped his collar through the clasp and watched him scramble crazily around her ankles.

Rindy laughed at the sight of him.

Carol staggered as she almost tripped. She moved her slippered feet through the whirling puppy and reached her hand out for the doorknob. 

Rindy remembered Aunt T was sleeping upstairs, and that she had forgotten to use her indoor voice. She clamped her mouth shut with both hands and stayed behind to watch Carol take Sleigh Bell outside to the freezing cold night.

The beagle inched his way through the backyard, sniffing the frost-tipped grass. Carol yawned and waited for him to do his business. Rindy held onto her mother’s free hand and pressed her face onto her nightgown-clad mid-thigh.

“Can we get a puppy just like Sleigh Bell, Mommy?” her daughter asked her eagerly.

“We will see,” Carol told her, slipping her hand around her, holding her close.


	2. Chapter 2

Therese pulled the kitchen cabinet open and grabbed some dog kibble. She shook the box in her hands playfully, making Sleigh Bell spin in circles beside her; wagging his tri-colored tail. Rindy was bouncing along her feet.

“Do you want to go feed Sleigh Bell now, Rindy?”

“Yeah, yeah!”’

“I’ll open the lid for you, okay?” Therese pulled the cardboard flap out with two of her fingers from the top corner of the box and then handed the dry dog cereal down to Rindy. Sleigh Bell lunged both his front two paws on top of the little girl—making her cry out, almost knocking her down.

“Sleigh Bell! Off!” Therese ordered sharply, quickly bending halfway to scoop the puppy up from underneath his belly; holding him high in the air. “You almost made Rindy fall down. Bad!”

“Bad!” Rindy repeated. “Bad, Sleigh Bell!”

“Now bring the food over to his bowl, honey,” Therese instructed. She felt the beagle squirming in her arms, but she ignored him as she watched Rindy walk over towards the silver dog dish that was next to the spare one filled with water. Rindy stood above the two bowls and tipped the box downwards using both hands. Several loose pieces of dry kibble fell out and landed inside the empty food bowl with some scattering onto the floor. Rindy leveled the box right side up and waited for Therese to put the puppy back down on all fours.

Sleigh Bell scrambled after the two silver dog bowls. He stopped next to the food one and began to gobble it down.

Rindy giggled and hugged the box. Therese wanted to make sure it was put away back inside the cabinet. 

“When’s Mommy coming home?” Rindy asked, propping both elbows on top of the table with a look of dismay. 

“Soon,” Therese replied back to her, giving the little girl a ceramic bowl of microwave heated apple crisp with spoonfuls of vanilla ice cream she had retrieved from the ice box. Therese slipped a spoon into the melting ice cream and speckled cinnamon apple chunks before wiping her hands along the sides of her apron and pulled a chair out to sit down across. 

“What did Mommy say? Is she working late?” Rindy questioned, scooping up some vanilla ice cream and baked golden pie crust with the edge of her spoon. She slipped the dessert between her lips and scooped some more with both silverware and ceramic clinking.

“She should be here any minute now,” Therese reassured, but she, herself, couldn’t help feel uncertain.

Carol arrived back into the apartment with several large paper brown shopping bags dangling around her arms and wrists. Everybody crowded around her; eyeing the bright red coloring tips of her nose and cheeks from being out in the cold too long. Carol exchanged loud, homecoming kisses to her two favorite girls and the puppy included. 

“It’s so nice and warm in here,” she happily hummed, leaning her face over to greet Therese a full kiss on the mouth. 

Therese grinned and shivered as soon as Carol reached up to hold onto her cheeks with her gloved hands. “You’re freezing, Carol...”

“Am I?” Carol laughed.

“I got to feed Sleigh Bell today, Mommy!” Rindy exclaimed, picking the puppy up, who nosed her and licked the side of her.

“You did? Well that’s just wonderful, sweetie! What a big, responsible young lady you are!” Carol gushed. She allowed Therese to take some of the bags and go put them away—most of them were already Christmas gifts. 

Carol bent over to receive more kisses and love from her daughter and the neighbors’ puppy.


End file.
